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Plata
Plata, officially the Plata Sultanate, is often favourably referred to as "Palladion of the South" by distant officials. Plata is the anchor and defender of political power in the South West of the continent. Plata's Earthen analogue is Egypt. History WIP Geography Plata is a jewel in the desert, rich with marine life and fertile land fed by the River Erebus. It shares a small border with Palladion, where a series of massive sand dunes comfortably form the divide between the two continents. Plata shares land borders with Gadolaia and Samaria, and to the East is the Makran Ocean. Away from the river, Plata's desert is exceedingly dangerous. Most of the population lives near the coasts or along the river. Large swaths of the desert has a glass surface, giving it the name the Glass Desert. Government and Politics Plata is an Absolute Monarchy, ruled by a sultan. A sultan may choose their successor, though the heir is typically their oldest son. Sometimes, a more qualified second or younger son will find more favour with the sultan. A daughter may also, in theory, inherit the throne. This has yet to be done since the establishment of the Sultanate, but there have been close calls. Plata's cultural and military power easily exceed that of its neighbors in the South West. This has allowed Plata to leverage peace for nearly two hundred years, with military experience limited to some skirmishes at sea with the Western League over small islands, or the periodic revolt or attempted coup d'état. The last proper invasion on Plata's soil was by Gadolaia's predecessing kingdom, which nearly ended in the collapse of the Sultanate. Economy Gold runs through the Erebus river, as much as does life. Chalk, fish, limestone, and trace silver also dot the coastlines and rivers. Plata's unique trees also make for excellent paper, and is particularly valuable to scholars and wizards. Although Rome and Plata contend for islands in the Internium Sea, they have reasonably open trade routes. Alongside trade with the Western League is a seafaring trade into West Palladion. Plata does not trade as much with Samaria nor Gadolaia, despite their proximity. The desert encapsulating Plata is very dangerous, making travel along land normally too difficult. The River itself has too many narrow areas to safely guide a barge through the waters, either. Demographics Cadmia is home to Genasi, Humans, and Aarakocras. Some small groups of Genasi will roam the Glass Desert, but predominantly the population stays near the Erebus river. The official languages of Cadmia are Common and Primordial. Culture Religion Religion is closely tied with much of Plata's public and private life. Platan's worship Mithras through icons, idols, plays, art, and rituals. The sects of Mithras are derived from a marriage between the creator god and Plata's own mythology, forming a pantheon of lesser gods in the service to Mithras. This 'pantheon' is similar to the prophets of other nations, and some theorize these 'lesser gods' were also ancient Aasimar. Monastic orders are not as common. There are some ascetics, particularly among the Genasi nomads, but it is very much a rare practice given religion takes on a more public display. The oldest order is the warrior monks in service of the Sultan, who form his personal guard. Magic Alchemy is not popular in Plata. The sages in Plata have many generations of sorcerers and mystics who practiced the ancient traditions of the arcana, and with much success. Simply, there is little room in Plata's culture for the scientific drive of alchemy. There are academies and universities in Plata, nonetheless. Many of them teach mysticism, as well as schools of divine magic. Though this approach to magic is not as 'rigorous' as alchemy, the curriculum itself is very much so. Those who succeed in Plata's academies are as knowledgeable in the arcana as any alchemist. Category:Countries